Wave of Conviction Ignite
Elementalist Build

Updated for Patch 3.24

The Best Crafty Guides by Odealo

Wave of Conviction has very high base damage that scales up great with Gem Level. You can increase it with modifiers to all Physical, Lightning, Fire, and Spell Skill Gems; that's because this Spell has a base Physical Damage that is by default partially Converted to Lightning and Fire. It would be an issue if not for the Ignite Conflux from Elementalist's Shaper of Flames. You can even add more various types of damage sourced from Physical Damage, including the cheap Obliteration Wand and Atziri's Promise Flask. It results in one of the best and cheapest Ignite builds in the game.

The Damage is high for an Ignite build. You can improve it with Mastermind of Discord, Heart of Destruction, and Shaper of Storm. The Fire Resistance of your opponents is very low not only because of the Fire Exposure but also two Curses - Flammability and Elemental Weakness. More Damage is gained from Convergence and Elemental Overload, but these won't be always active. Flame Surge is here too, it creates Burning Grounds for an additional layer of Burning Damage.

The build is very durable on account of its 100% Spell Suppression Chance, above-average Armour and Evasion Rating, Life Regeneration, Life gained on Kill, and Block Chance. The survivability can be improved with Tempest Shield for more Spell Block Chance and Brass Dome for Armour and Maximum Resistances. The build lacks only instant Life Recovery during boss fights (which can be fixed with The Surrender and Life Regeneration modifiers on your Gear).

You can also check our other Path of Exile builds right over here Odealo's Crafty Guides - Full List

1. Gameplay

Use Wave of Conviction to slay enemies, they will explode on death with Herald of Ash. If in need of more damage, activate Arcanist Brand to cast Flame Surge with Curses, and turn the Malevolence Aura on. You should also Frostblink into the enemy to apply Combustion. Grace, Determination, Defiance Banner, and herald of Purity or Tempest Shield are your passive Skills. Molten Shell is triggered automatically after taking damage.

2. Build's PROS & CONS

3. Leveling tips

A compelling leveling guide for this build can be found here: Witch Leveling Guide using Ignite.

Bandits:

you should kill all three Bandits for two additional Skill Points

Leveling Skill Trees:

19 Points Skill Tree
Start with Maximum Life and a lot of Fire Damage

61 Points Skill Tree
Pick Elemental overload, more Damage over Time, Fire Damage, Maximum Life, and Sovereignty for Reservation Efficiency

4. Final Skill Tree, Ascendancy Points, and Pantheon

Final Skill Tree:

107 Points Final Skill Tree (doesn't include Items, Unique, or Cluster Jewels)
122 Points Path of Building (PoB) link

Ascendancy points:

Preferably in that order:

1. Shaper of Flames
2. Mastermind of Discord
3. Heart of Destruction
4. Bastion of Elements

Pantheon:

Major God:     
Soul of the Brine King: You cannot be Stunned if you've been Stunned or Blocked a Stunning Hit in the past 2 seconds

Minor God:
Soul of Abberath: 60% less Duration of Ignite on You

5. Final Gems links

[DPS] Wave of Conviction setup
	Wave of Conviction - A Spell with high base Physical Damage, some of which is converted to Lightning and Fire. It will deal mostly Fire Damage on Hit, causing powerful Ignites via Shaper of Flames. All of the Support Gems have an Awakened version that you should get.
	Empower Support - Increase the Gem level of Wave of Conviction. At lower budget you can use the Efficacy Support or Ignite Proliferation Support.
	Burning Damage Support - More Burning Damage, your main type of damage.
	Deadly Ailments Support - Grants more Damage with Ignite, but lowers Hit Damage.
	Added Fire Damage Support - Adds Fire Damage sourced from the Physical Damage of the Spell, which is the base type of damage of Wave of Conviction.
	Swift Affliction Support - Lowers Ignite Duration, but increases its damage.

[UTILITY] Aura setup
	Grace - Adds and Increases Evasion Rating for a higher chance to Evade damage from Attacks.
	Determination - Adds and increases Armour to take less Physical Damage from Hits.
	Herald of Ash - Adds Fire Damage sourced from Physical Damage, much like Added Fire Damage Support.
	Enlighten Support - Linked Skills reserve less Mana. You won't need level 4 Enlighten, level 3 is enough.

[UTILITY] Aura setup
	Defiance Banner - Increases your Evasion and Armour. Nearby enemies have reduced Critical Strike Chance.
	Herald of Purity - More Physical Damage - it results in more powerful Ignite as Wave of Conviction deals base Physical Damage. Can be replaced with  Tempest Shield for Spell Block Chance if you value survivability over the damage (works only with Shield in off-hand).

[UTILITY] Brand/Curse setup
	Arcanist Brand - It will trigger all linked to it Spells in sequence while attached to an enemy.
	Flammability - A Curse that lowers opponents' Fire Resistance.
	Elemental Weakness - A Curse that lowers opponents' Elemental  Resistances. It requires having Whispers of Doom allocated or anointed.
	Flame Surge - Creates a Burning Ground upon Hitting an Ignited enemy, the damage of which is tied to Ignite Damage.

[UTILITY] Malevolence setup
	Malevolence - The most important Aura. It grants more DoT and increased Skill Effect Duration.
	Divine Blessing Support - Linked Aura is now a temporary Skill. You should be able to afford it after allocating Eldritch Battery and gathering some extra Energy Shield from gear.
	Inspiration Support - Lowers the Mana Cost of Malevolence.

[MOBILITY] Frostblink setup
	Frostblink - A simple movement ability to teleport. Here, it will also apply Combustion.
	Combustion Support - Combustion lowers the Fire Resistance of Ignited enemies by 10%.
	Unbound Ailments Support - The Ignite will now last around 6 seconds, so make sure to Frostblink on top of bosses from time to time.

[UTILITY] Molten Shell setup
	Molten Shell - Molten Shell absorbs a portion of incoming Hit Damage. The more Armour you have, the more of it it can absorb.
	Automation Support - it is the new addition, it will automatically trigger an Instant Skill on a short Cooldown.

6. Gear Setup

The Wave of Conviction deals Physical Damage, a quarter of which is already Converted to Fire. You don't have to Convert all of it - with Shaper of Flames and various boosts to Fire Damage you will deal mostly Fire Damage on Hit, and that's enough to activate the 25% more Ignite Damage bonus. You're encouraged to increase the Gem Level of Wave of Conviction, which has tags like Fire, Physical, and Lightning, so it will be easy. You can also seek various types of extra damage sourced from Physical Damage - the best examples of it are the Obliteration Wand or Atziri's Promise Flask. Burning Damage, Spell Damage, Fire Damage, and Damage over Time Multiplier are other offensive mods. For more durability, get Maximum Life, Spell Suppression Chance, Life Regeneration, Block Chance, Armour, and Evasion. ES is not needed with Eldritch Battery, but try to have enough of it to cast high-cost Spells like Malevolence. You will need a lot of extra Strength and Dexterity. Reservation Efficiency is not needed.

Our recommended items will:

1. Cap your resistances at 75%
2. Provide you with enough DPS and Life to start mapping

(Helmet) Rare Helmet - Seek Maximum Life, Spell Suppression Chance, and Resistances. Suppression can be found on Helmets with Evasion. For the Eldritch mods look for Physical Damage taken as Fire and increased Flammability Curse Effect.

Min. requirements: +80% to Elemental Resistances +70 to maximum Life Spell Suppression Chance Optional affixes: Chaos Resistance Attributes Defences

(Helmet) The Devouring Diadem - It shouldn't be needed as Eldritch Battery is on your way and you should have enough Mana Reservation Efficiency to host all the Auras, but if it's not the case, get this Helmet.

+1 to Level of Socketed Gems Socketed Gems have 25% increased Reservation Efficiency Trigger Level 15 Feast of Flesh every 5 seconds (180-220)% increased Energy Shield 10% chance for Energy Shield Recharge to start when you use a Skill Eldritch Battery Veiled Suffix

(Weapon) Rare Wand/Dagger/Sceptre - A Weapon should increase the Gem level of your Wave of Conviction by one or two, your Fire Damage, Spell Damage, Burning Damage, or DoT Multiplier.

Min. requirements: +1 to Level of all Physical/Fire/Lightning Spell Skill Gems 100% increased Spell/Fire/Burning Damage Optional affixes: +1 to Level of all Spell Skill Gems +1 to Level of all Physical/Fire/Lightning Spell Skill Gems Damage over Time Multiplier Fire Damage over Time Multiplier increased Fire Damage increased Burning Damage

(Weapon) Obliteration - It is a good budget option as the extra Chaos Damage will improve your Ignite due to the Shaper of Flames.

(31-35)% increased Spell Damage Gain (30-40)% of Physical Damage as Extra Chaos Damage Enemies you Kill have a 20% chance to Explode, dealing a quarter of their maximum Life as Chaos Damage

(Off-hand) Rare Shield - Look for Maximum Life, Resistances, Spell Suppression, Block Chance, Attributes, and base defences.

Min. requirements: +80 to Maximum Life +40% to Elemental Resistances Chance to Suppress Spell Damage Optional affixes: Attributes Chaos Resistance Block Chance Maximum Elemental Resistances

(Body Armour) Skin of the Lords - It's a very expensive, but excellent Armour on account of the extra Levels to socketed Gems and increased Global Defences. Dialla's Malefaction can be used instead.

Item has no level requirement and Energy Shield (Hidden) Sockets cannot be modified +2 to Level of Socketed Gems 100% increased Global Defences You can only Socket Corrupted Gems in this item Item has 6 Sockets and is fully linked (Hidden) <Random Keystone>

(Body Armour) The Brass Dome - A massive boost to your Armour and Maximum Elemental Resistances. It will require some extra Strength to wear but it's not a big issue.

(350-400)% increased Armour +(1-5)% to all maximum Elemental Resistances Strength provides no bonus to Maximum Life Take no Extra Damage from Critical Strikes

(Body Armour) Rare Body Armour - It's a good option if you need some more specific stats like Suppression, Life Regeneration, or more Resistances. Maximum Life and some mods to reduce Physical Damage taken are very desirable. For Eldritch mods seek the increased effect of Non-Curse Auras from your Skills.

Min. requirements: +100 to maximum Life +80% to Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: Attributes +1 to Level of Socketed Active Skill Gems Spell Suppression Chance Life Regeneration Additional Physical Damage Reduction Physical Damage taken as Fire/Lightning (crafted)

(Boots) Rare Boots - Get some Maximum Life, Resistances, Suppression, Attributes, and Movement Speed. For the Eldritch mods, get Scorched Ground and accelerate Ignite.

Min. requirements: +40% to Elemental Resistances +60 to Maximum Life 25% increased Movement Speed Optional affixes: Chaos Resistance Spell Suppression Chance Attributes Cannot be Frozen

(Boots) Atziri's Step - There's only Maximum Life, Movement Speed, Evasion, and Spell Suppression, but if your other gear pieces provide Attributes and Resistances, it should be enough.

+(20-26)% chance to Suppress Spell Damage 180% increased Evasion Rating +(55-75) to maximum Life 30% increased Movement Speed

(Boots) Legacy of Fury - Applies powerful Scorch on the enemies around you, which increases your DPS. The additional "explosions" are not really needed - your Herald of Ash works in a similar fashion.

(200-300)% increased Armour and Evasion 30% increased Movement Speed Nearby Enemies are Scorched (30-50)% increased Effect of Scorch (30-40)% chance when you Kill a Scorched Enemy to Burn Each surrounding Enemy for 4 seconds, dealing 8% of the Killed Enemy's Life as Fire Damage per second

(Gloves) Rare Gloves - As is the case with most other Rare gear pieces, seek Maximum Life, Resistances, Spell Suppression, and Attributes - mainly Dexterity or Strength. For Eldritch mods, get Fire Damage over Time Multiplier and Spell Suppression Chance or Life Leech.

Min. requirements: +70 to Maximum Life +40% to Elemental Resistances Dexterity Spell Suppression Chance Optional affixes: Attributes increased Damage over Time Ignites you inflict deal Damage faster

(Belt) Rare Belt - Here you can get tons of Strength, Resistances, and Maximum Life - these are by far the most important stats on a Belt. Armour and Life Regeneration will be great too.

Min. requirements: +90 to Maximum Life +110% to Elemental Resistances Strength Optional affixes: Chaos Resistance increased Maximum Life Armour Life Regeneration Flask mods

(Amulet) Replica Dragonfang's Flight  - The extra 3 levels to Wave of Conviction, combined with a bit of Resistances, Attributes, and Reservation Efficiency make it the best Amulet for its price.

+(10-16) to all Attributes +3 to Level of all <Random Skill> Gems +(5-10)% to all Elemental Resistances (5-10)% increased Reservation Efficiency of Skills Items and Gems have (10-5)% reduced Attribute Requirements

Recommended Anointments: Whispers of Doom Dirty Techniques

(Ring) Replica Emberwake - It accelerates your Ignite by up to 45%, which translates into more damage if you're re-applying these Ailments fast enough. The Reduced Ignite Duration will require you to cast Wave of Conviction without rest.

+(20-30)% to Fire Resistance (30-40)% increased Fire Damage (5-10)% increased Cast Speed 90% reduced Ignite Duration on Enemies 10% chance to Ignite Ignites you inflict deal Damage (35-45)% faster

(Ring) Polaric Devastation - Enemies Covered in Ash will receive increased Fire Damage. The Ring also grants tons of Resistances, it's a must-have.

(15-25)% increased Elemental Damage (15-25)% increased Global Critical Strike Chance +(20-40)% to Fire Resistance +(20-40)% to Cold Resistance (10-20)% increased Duration of Ailments on Enemies Left Ring slot: Cover Enemies in Ash for 5 seconds when you Ignite them Right Ring slot: Cover Enemies in Frost for 5 seconds when you Freeze them

(Ring) Rare Ring - Rare Rings should fix your Attributes and Resistances. Maximum Life is of course obligatory here as well.

Min. requirements: +60 to Maximum Life +80% to Elemental Resistances Attributes Optional affixes: Chaos Resistance Defences Damage over Time Multiplier Curse Enemies with Flammability on Hit

(Jewel) Rare Jewels - Increased Maximum Life, Burning Damage, and Damage over Time Multiplier are the most valuable mods on Rare Jewels.

Recommended affixes: Elemental or Chaos Resistances Damaging Ailments deal damage faster Attributes increased Maximum Life Damage over Time Multiplier increased Burning Damage

(Jewel) Watcher's Eye - Your Auras are Grace, Determination, and Malevolence. Try to get the extra Damage over Time Multiplier from Malevolence here, or Spell Suppression from Grace.

(4-6)% increased maximum Energy Shield (4-6)% increased maximum Life (4-6)% increased maximum Mana <Two or Three random aura modifiers>

(Jewel) Large Cluster Jewel - The default regular Fire or Elemental-oriented Large Cluster Jewel is used mostly to host more powerful, Medium Cluster Jewels. The vast majority of the notables that can be found here will do the job.

Recommended affixes: 1 Added Passive Skill is Prismatic Heart 1 Added Passive Skill is Widespread Destruction 1 Added Passive Skill is Master of Fire 1 Added Passive Skill is Burning Bright 1 Added Passive Skill is Smoking Remains 1 Added Passive Skill is Doryani's Lesson 1 Added Passive Skill is Inspired Oppression

(Jewel) Medium Cluster Jewel - Blowback, Brush with Death, Wasting Affliction, Circling Oblivion, or Burning Bright notables are excellent additions to this build, but so are the majority of those present on Burning Damage Medium Cluster Jewels.

Recommended affixes: 1 Added Passive Skill is Master of Fire 1 Added Passive Skill is Wasting Affliction 1 Added Passive Skill is Blowback 1 Added Passive Skill is Circling Oblivion 1 Added Passive Skill is Burning Bright 1 Added Passive Skill is Brush with Death 1 Added Passive Skill is Fan the Flames

(Flask) Atziri's Promise - Extra Chaos Damage sourced from both Physical and Elemental Damage will improve your Ignite Damage.

+35% to Chaos Resistance 2% of Chaos Damage Leeched as Life during Effect Gain (5-8)% of Physical Damage as Extra Chaos Damage during effect Gain (5-8)% of Elemental Damage as Extra Chaos Damage during effect

(Flask) Taste of Hate - A portion of Physical Damage taken as Cold Damage, and extra Physical Damage dealt as Cold Damage will improve your survivability and damage alike.

+50% to Cold Resistance 20% less Cold Damage taken (10-15)% of Physical Damage from Hits taken as Cold Damage during Effect Gain (10-15)% of Physical Damage as Extra Cold Damage during effect 30% chance to Avoid being Chilled during Effect 30% chance to Avoid being Frozen during Effect

Other suggested Flasks: Jade Flask with an increased Evasion Rating Granite Flask with increased Armour Rating Life Flask with Bleeding/Freeze immunity/removal Quicksilver with Cast Speed bonus

If you have any other build requests please leave that in the comments below. We are always open to suggestions and constructive feedback.

Pictures used in this article are the intellectual property of Grinding Gear Games.